New cycle lanes and sidewalks are going to be installed along one of Decatur’s busiest roads, reducing the number of vehicle lanes in the process.
Before approving the changes to Church Street, which will cost Decatur $595,000, city leaders heard arguments from both sides. Bikers want to feel safe while using alternative transportation, while motorists want to avoid gridlocked traffic.
Hugh Saxon, Decatur’s deputy city manager, said during Monday’s City Commission meeting that it’s a situation that can’t please everyone.
“The more you do to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and accessibility, the bigger impact it has on motorists and vehicle transportation,” he said. “And I don’t know if there’s any way to avoid that conflict.”
The jostle over roadway space has been a hot topic in Decatur over the past year or two, since city leaders have committed to expanding cycle access along many of its most-traveled roads. A roughly one-mile stretch of Church Street beginning downtown near Decatur Cemetery will be the latest to undergo such a transformation.
The city will contract with Lewallen Construction Company, a Marietta company to reduce the road to two-vehicle lanes, while adding new sidewalks and one-way cycle lanes. The Georgia Department of Transportation, which will provide roughly $2.6 million to fund the project, and two construction administration companies are also project partners.
The project mirrors the recent changes made to Commerce Drive. Both projects stem from the PATH Foundation’s connectivity plan, which Decatur adopted in 2016. It’s designed to connect city streets to PATH’s existing network of 600 miles of multiuse paths.
“I do recognize, having biked on Church Street many times, how tricky a passage that is and how fast the traffic moves along that corridor,” Peter Wakefield, a resident, said during Monday’s meeting. His daughter, an 11th grade student at Decatur High School, also spoke in favor of adding cycle lanes since she sometimes bikes to school along that road.
Commissioner Lesa Mayer said she’s received lots of feedback from her constituents, most of which was positive.
However, some residents said they’re worried the changes would only exacerbate congestion. Renita Trotti, who lives near Glendale Avenue, called Church Street one of the main commuting arteries into the city.
“My concern is the bottleneck of traffic. It’s already very hard to get in-and-out,” she said. “... It’s going to make people cut through the neighborhoods more than they already are.”
Saxon said the city finished the Church Street plans about three years ago, but it took more than 60 construction easements to get to this stage. The city is funding its portion of the project through its capital improvement fund, which consists of accumulated property taxes.
The Church Street project is expected to start in July and take 18 to 24 months to complete.
